5 Ways to Stay Engaged and Productive at Work All Day

One of the productive workplace’s greatest enemies? The post-lunch dip. If you ever feel a lack of focus after lunch, you’re not alone. Workers across the world suffer from the fatigue that plagues us at work, induced by our lunch hours. This decrease in energy ultimately leads you to lose focus and motivation.

Avoid feeling tired after lunch with these tips:

Get moving.

If you’re sitting down for a prolonged amount of time, you’re bound to feel the onslaught waves of fatigue. Schedule a walk during your lunch hour or get some sort of physical exercise to get your blood flowing. The change of pace and scenery will keep you engaged throughout the afternoon. Choosing the right type of work setting can also help post-lunch drowsiness. Try active seating that engages your core or a standing-height desk that keeps you on your feet. If your afternoon is scheduled to the brim with meetings, suggest a walking meeting!

Increase your exposure to natural light.

Spending time in sunlight has lots of benefits including higher productivity, boosts of vitamin D and increases in serotonin. Especially in the winter, when Seasonal Affective Disorder is at its highest, exposure to natural light is integral to employee wellbeing. After lunch, work next to a window or eat outside when possible.

Choose the right foods.

Many of the foods we gravitate towards when we feel hungry may cause a spike in energy at first but will be followed quickly by a blood sugar drop that will leave you in a slump for the rest of the day. Avoid processed foods with a lot of sugar or refined grains. If you’re craving something sweet, go for fruit instead of candy or chocolate. It’ll keep you from falling asleep at your desk!

Snack throughout the day.

If you eat small quantities of food throughout the day, you’re less likely to overeat at lunch and feel a productivity loss. Eating smaller amounts more frequently will keep your blood sugar level constant, and keep you from picking the wrong foods at lunchtime when you’re hungriest.

Pump up with some tunes.

If you start to feel the tell-tale signs of the post-lunch dip, use your favorite upbeat songs to wake you up. Listening to music you enjoy releases chemicals in your brain that boost your mood and leave you happier.